Jenni Hermoso tells court Rubiales’s kiss ‘tarnished’ World Cup win

The Spanish footballer Jenni Hermoso has told a court that ‘one of the happiest moments’ of her life was ruined when the then president of the Spanish football federation, Luis Rubiales, grabbed her and kissed her on the lips after Spain’s World Cup win in August 2023. Rubiales, 47, is accused of *ual assault as well as coercion over allegations that he put pressure on Hermoso to declaring that the kiss, which was shortly after Spain’s women’s team triumphed in Sydney, was consensual. He maintains that he sought her permission for the kiss. If convicted, Rubiales – who resigned as the federation president a month after the incident – could face two and a half years in prison: one year for *ual assault over the forced kiss, and 18 months for allegedly coercing Hermoso to play down what happened.